Minds On

Frequency tables

Brainstorm

Investigating frequency

Examine the following frequency tables. What information could these frequency tables be giving you? What information is missing? What other information do you need in order to determine exactly what these tables are about?

Throughout this learning activity, you can record your thoughts digitally, orally, or in print.

Colour

Tally

Frequency

140 to 159 centimeters

5

150 to 169 centimeters

6

160 to 179 centimeters

8

170 to 189 centimeters

4

180 to 199 centimeters

6

Acknowledgements(Opens in a new window)

Action

Data terms

Check out the following important key words and their definitions. We will be using these key words as we discuss data. Read through the terms. Which terms do you know, and which are you learning about for the first time?

Match each term to the corresponding definition.

Now examine the frequency tables from our Minds On activity. Which of the tables is showing discrete data? Which is showing continuous data? How do you know? Do you need more information?

Quantitative vs. qualitative data

Now you will create your own chart about a character, celebrity, animal, or pet of your choosing! Complete the Qualitative and Quantitative Data Chart in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document.

Qualitative and Quantitative Data Chart

Qualitative Data

Quantitative data

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Qualitative and Quantitative Data Chart. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

Student success

Think-Pair-Share

Both qualitative and quantitative data are important and useful for different situations.

When do you think it would be beneficial to use qualitative or quantitative data? Is one type of data more useful than the other?

Record your ideas in a method of your choice and discuss your answers with a partner, if possible. Be ready to share!

Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.

Discrete or continuous?

Complete the Discrete or Continuous Data Chart in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. Place each description of a data set into the correct category on the chart. For each, you are deciding whether they are discrete or continuous data. You may discuss these with a partner, if possible, or record your thoughts independently.

Discrete or Continuous Data Chart

Discrete

Continuous

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Discrete or Continuous Data Chart. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)
  • The number of cars on the road.
  • The length of various objects in a classroom.
  • The number of students in a class.
  • The time it takes to run a race.
  • The number of buttons on a shirt.
  • The result of rolling 3 dice.
  • The height of a tree.
  • The number of petals on a flower.
  • The mass of a car.
  • The number of adjectives in a paragraph.

True or False

Examine the following statements and decide if you think they are true or false. Select the correct answer.

Frequency tables

Once we have gathered our data about a given topic or question, the data is often put into a chart or a table to display the results. The steps in the following example breakdown how we examine data and organize it into a frequency table.

Frequency table example

A group of community members were surveyed and asked the following question:

How many pets do you have?

Examine the data set collected from the initial survey in the following table.

Name

Answer

Sofia

1

Shawn

2

Amanda

1

Debbie

0

Rebecca

1

Juan

3

Brandon

0

Tyrell

1

Phoenix

0

Patrice

4

Santiago

3

Nilda

2

Jessie

1

Jesiah

1

Matthew

0

Amaiyah

1

Miriam

2

Leigh

5

Susana

0

Yulia

1

Using the data in this table, a frequency table can be created.

The following chart shows the data set now that it has been put into a frequency table. Let’s examine it and the different components included.

Number of pets per family

Number of Pets

Tally

Frequency

0

5

1

8

2

3

3

2

4 or more

2

Student tips

Student tips

The following are components you should know when creating a frequency table.

  • On one side of the frequency table the categories or options are listed.
  • In the next column, the tally is recorded.
  • In the last column is the frequency for each category/option displayed as a number.

What do you notice? If you were going to create a frequency table, what elements would you want to include?

Record your thoughts in a method of your choice.

Consolidation

Task 1: Working with frequency tables

The same group of community members from the Action section were asked a second survey question: Where do you enjoy spending time in the neighbourhood?

The following data was recorded:

Name

Answer

Member 1

The park

Member 2

The community centre

Member 3

The pond

Member 4

The boardwalk

Member 5

The community centre

Member 6

The park

Member 7

The art gallery

Member 8

The park

Member 9

The pond

Member 10

The art gallery

Member 11

The pond

Member 12

The boardwalk

Member 13

The park

Member 14

The art gallery

Member 15

The pond

Member 16

The art gallery

Member 17

The park

Member 18

The boardwalk

Member 19

The community centre

Member 20

The park

Use this data to create a frequency table. Complete the Frequency Table Template in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document.

Frequency Table Template

Title

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Frequency Table Template. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

What important information is being shared for community organizers in this data? What conclusions can be made about this data for this community?

Task 2: Reflection

Answer the following questions below:

  • How does organizing data in a table such as a frequency table help you with your understanding of data?
  • How does sorting data into the categories of qualitative or quantitative (continuous or discrete) change how you work with a particular data set?

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.

Create your own data set

Now you will conduct your own survey!

Step 1: Come up with your survey question.

Step 2: Conduct your survey and gather your results.

Step 3: Display your results in a frequency table. You can do this on paper, on a TVO Mathify whiteboard or using another digital platform of your choosing. You can also use the template provided.

Step 4: Determine and record whether your data is discrete or continuous, qualitative, or quantitative.

Frequency Table Template

Title

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Frequency Table Template. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

Connect with a TVO Mathify tutor

Think of TVO Mathify as your own personalized math coach, here to support your learning at home. Press ‘TVO Mathify’ to connect with an Ontario Certified Teacher math tutor of your choice. You will need a TVO Mathify login to access this resource.

TVO Mathify (Opens in new window)